Powerlifting and strongman competitions measure brute strength; Olympic weightlifting, meanwhile, demands strength, explosiveness, and perfect technique. At the Arnold Weightlifting Championships you’ll see some of the world’s strongest men complete the most technically demanding lifts in all of strength competition. You might even see a new world record set.

“We are a local meet that allows for topflight competition across many ages and talent levels,” says Mark Cannella, director of the Arnold Weightlifting Championships. I know of no competition, anywhere, where a first-time contestant can expect to lift next to a world or Olympic record holder.”

The Sport of weightlifting consists of two lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk. Participants get three attempts to lift the maximum weight possible in each event, with the heaviest snatch and heaviest clean and jerk combined to calculate the lifter’s score. Athletes are assigned to weight classes.

To learn more about weightlifting, go to usaweightlifting.com. To register to compete, visit columbusweightlifting.org.

Olympic Lifting Defined

1. SNATCH: This move is performed by hoisting the bar from the floor to arms’ length overhead in a single, explosive motion.

2. CLEAN AND JERK: This is a two-part lift in which the bar is first hoisted to the shoulders (the clean) and then pressed overhead to arms’ length.